Less CO2 emissions from cars and vans: S&D negotiate cleaner future for citizens

Today the European Parliament backed the deal negotiated with the Council by S&D MEP Miriam Dalli to reduce CO2 emissions by cars and vans.

The strong position held throughout by Miriam Dalli, has ensured a 37.5% target for cars and vans in 2030, departing from a Commission proposal of 30%.

For the first time ever, the legislation introduces an obligation for the European Commission to monitor and report fuel consumption meter data so as to prevent the CO2 gap between the real world and laboratory tests from growing. Failure to comply with the regulation will result in manufacturers facing stricter targets.

Fully embracing the concerns of trade unions, the legislation demands the European Commission to assess the possibility of creating a fund for a just transition. This fund is needed to achieve a climate-neutral economy without social costs, and in particular to support workers in the car-manufacturing sector.

The incentive of plug-in cars will be capped at 5% of new car sales thanks to the pressure of the S&D negotiation.

S&D MEP Miriam Dalli said:

“This is one more step to ensure that Europe will lead the world’s transition towards low and zero-carbon cars instead of importing new technologies. Despite the initial fierce opposition, I remain convinced that the competitiveness of the automotive industry is related to its capacity to innovate.

“Protecting jobs and the environment is not a trade-off, but they go hand in hand. If we don’t make sure that Europe is able to produce clean cars within a reasonable time frame, we will not only miss our Paris Climate Change targets but the European car industry will lag behind in the global market and jobs will be lost.

“Investing in a sustainable future will not only make our industry more competitive, it will ultimately benefit our health and our environment. That is why we strongly fought to safeguard the environmental integrity of the proposal and bring real health, consumer and innovation benefits to European citizens.”